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Making a Salve

Making a salve isn’t as hard as you might think! What takes the longest is infusing your favorite herbs in oil. The way I like to infuse my herbs is by solar infusion. First, pick your herb (I always use dried). Herbs that I like to use are: Calendula, Chamomile, Arnica, St. John’s Wort, and Chickweed. You can make Trauma oil by combining herbs of Calendula, Arnica and St. John’s Wort. Fill a mason jar one-third full with the herbs and cover the herbs with a carrier oil, such as olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, etc. Leave at least one inch of room at the top of jar. Screw a lid on tight. Next, you will want to place the jar in a sunny window or better yet, outside in direct sunlight. Leave the jars out there for 3-4 weeks, making sure to shake them up everyday. You may want to write the date on the jars. As the herbs’ properties release in the oil, the oil will have more color and smell like an herbal oil. After the oils have infused for 4 weeks, you will strain the herb solids out of the oil with cheese cloth or a cotton pillow case. Voila! You now have herbal oil. These oils can be used straight as a massage oil or you can make a salve. Salves are great in that they don’t require water so then you don’t need to use a preservative.

To use the oil in a salve, you will need beeswax. Use approximately 2 oz. of grated beeswax for 8oz of infused oil. Here is a recipe for a natural neosporin.

Equipment needed

scale

pot

Pyrex or glass bowl

small container for salve

spatula

Ingredients

.05 oz beeswax

2 oz of infused Calendula oil

Directions

Place Pyrex or glass bowl on scale turn on scale, it should read 0

Weigh out beeswax to .05 oz

Place a pot filled 1/3 way with water and turn on stove and place Pyrex with beeswax in the water

Next, weigh out infused Calendula oil

Once beeswax is melted, add your Calendula oil and stir until melts together.

Remove the mixture from pot and pour into your salve container (while salve is still hot).

Make sure you dry the outside of the Pyrex so that water doesn’t drip into your salve while pouring.

Add 6 drops lavender essential oil (optional) let salve cool

Last, put the lid on your salve. Voila! You have made a salve

Calendula is awesome at healing and soothing cuts, scrapes, chapped lips and skin. Use as often as needed.